Category Archives: Inspiration

How are you guys? How were your holidays? January is in full swing and moving full steam ahead. I’ve been working hard on several projects that will ultimately result in a subtle restructuring of my business. It’s both exciting and slightly nerve wracking, but such is life. Sometimes that’s how change feels, and its not necessarily a bad thing. I’m a firm believer that many of us need to spend more time outside of our comfort zones, because that’s the place where you experience the most growth . . . and I’m all about growth . . . unless we are talking waistlines, and after the holidays, thats something thats been on my stomach mind as well. But I digress! I’ll be checking back in soon with more updates, as well as previews of the new collection. Take care of yourselves out there!

So I guess I just need to face the fact that Spring is here. The trees outside my window are finally full again with big, beautiful, fresh green leaves. Birds are chirping, and butterflies are flitting about. Albeit, I never got the winter I so desired (El Nino, anyone?) I am glad to see the flowers and leaves return. In honor of the springtime feeling that is in the air (at least here in Cali) I put together this #ootd style inspo for pattern mixing. There’s nothing that gets me more in the mood for a season than choosing the clothes to wear during it, LOL. Hope this inspires you to take a few chances with patterns in your wardrobe this season!

I’ve been on the path of growing my business solo for many years now. The majority of the time, it can be a lonely journey, requiring all of your attention to detail and everything else that comes with owning and growing a business. I tried having a partner in the beginning. It was something I wanted very much at the time. It didn’t work out . . . . like, at ALL. You’ve probably read some of my musings on how I grew in leaps and bounds from that experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world. But that was over 10 years ago, and I recognize the mistakes I made at the time, as well as where my desire for a partner was coming from . . . which I can honestly now say, was coming from a place of fear.

Back in college I had a partner. Another creative who shared similar tastes, energy and appreciation for design, textiles and creativity. Her name was Khrys. We gravitated toward each other in the fashion program at CAU and ended up collaborating on a collection for the CAU Fashion Department’s annual fashion show. We collaborated on the designs, selection of fabrics, colors, sourcing, fabric selection, styling and sewing. She had mad skills with textile dying, fabric selection, jewelry making, styling and colors, to name a few. I had mad skills with design, pattern placement, sketching, line organization and color selection. We complemented each others skills and filled out each others weaknesses. We worked seamlessly together. It was the best working relationship I had had thus far. Through the years we stayed in touch for seasons and lost touch for seasons, but somehow, there was always an underlying knowing, that we would find each other again and resume our collaborative genius. Last summer, after about 10 years of being out of touch, we found each other again, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Though we were both living on opposite sides of the country, we were both in the same place in our respective design businesses and decided to begin supporting each other with weekly calls of accountability and support. I can’t tell you what a difference it has made on the day to day. Together, we have been able to support each other in growing our businesses and staying on track to achieving our goals. We have even picked back up on our design collaborations and it feels just like it did 15 years ago. I can’t wait to share some of the projects we are working on together.

Snapped this dreamy shot on our after school trip to Mt. Baldy last week. As much as I complain about the California heat, it really is an amazing state. I feel so blessed to have both the beach + the mountains in my backyard. It truly is a wonderful thing + the perfect catalyst for inspiration! Happy Wednesday!

I much prefer imperfections to perfection.I love hair to be a little messy . . . faces slightly dewey, a slightly crooked tooth or smile or an outfit that has just a touch of the unexpected. It might sound weird, but I love it when things are just a little bit . . . off. It adds such beauty in my eyes! So in saying all that, I find it to be quite the oxymoron, that for as long as I can remember, (we’re talking since childhood here, kids) I have been operating under the umbrella ☂ of perfectionism. (Remind me to share the story about how I broke down on the eve of the first day of 2nd grade for fear that I couldn’t possibly do as well as I had in 1st grade! :/ ) #perfectionisttendencies

Last week I shared with you about how I have been putting off painting for about a year, and how my soul has been calling me to just pick up the brush . . . the conditions have never been perfect . . there’s always a laundry list of things to be done, a child to pick up or drop off, or a cluttered desk to clear before painting can begin. But today, in the midst of all of those things (including my daughter being home sick for the 3rd day in a row) I pulled out my watercolors and satisfied my soul.

Guess what . . .

That laundry list of things . . the picking up and dropping off of children, and the cluttered desk were all still there when I finished. Meaning, no one was starving, no one and nothing was being neglected . . . except my soul.

I painted amidst the mess of my desk because honestly, there just was not any other place to put the things on my desk, other than my desk. I painted while my daughter lay in my bed watching the Powerpuff Girls, and I painted while the long list of TO DO’s sat patiently waiting for me to finish. Funny thing is, I felt so exhilarated and happy when I was finished. And it only took me about 15 minutes to feel like I had gotten my fix! in addition to that It really helped me to get some of the collection details out of my head and onto paper. It wasn’t perfect, I would have liked to paint for a longer period of time, I would have liked to paint at a big spacious desk in a room full of natural light with out hearing the high pitched voices of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, but my daughter and I ended up mimicking them and laughing together in the process, so in my book, it was a win-win.

So I’ll end this rant with these 2 words . . .

Embrace Imperfection

There’s a time and a place for perfection, it has it’s merits, but not at the cost of your soul.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am an avid list maker. I might be bordering on a slight obsession, but, I LOVE lists. Lists are like a perfect outline to the day. They help to keep me on track, and focused (which lately, has seemed harder and harder for me to do.) Lists really speak to my personality as well. I’ve realized that I don’t like a lot of small talk. I like to get right to the point and cut out the fluff. Lists help me to do that. They easily pull out the meat, and leave the fluff behind.

At the start of the New Year I began journaling again. I used to journal regularly in my teenage/ young adult life. I still have my first diary (and years of subsequent diaries that followed). My first diary was a gift given to me in the 5th grade and it really started my love of writing and working out life’s problems with words, so it feels really good to be back at it again. I can’t tell you how therapeutic it is for me to take pen to paper and create. Be it with words, pictures, sketches or doodles. My journal has it all. The best thing about it is that it has become a place of dialogue between God and I. In my younger years, I did a lot of recording of things that were going on in my life. There were quite a few pleadings to God about certain boy crushes, or items of clothing I wanted as well. But journaling in my later years has taken on such a different quality. I ask a lot of questions in my journal, and the best part about it . . . I get answers! Sometimes I ask the same questions over and over, until the answer is very clear. But quite often, the answers just come, and I just know. The reason I am sharing all of this with you is because today I got a late start and only had a few minutes to spend in my journal. I’ve been wrestling with working on a few different projects and feeling overwhelmed with what to tackle first and how. Today when I sat down with my journal, I was given a plan. This plan may not be for everyone, but I do think it is relevant and something that we can all keep as a guide when working on projects that have been placed before us. Especially in times of overwhelment (is that a word? If not, I’m making it one:)

Here is the simple 3 step plan I was given::

1. Continue to do the things that have been placed before you. Daily move toward your goals. Doing your part, leaves room for Him to do His part. Remember, baby steps are still steps!

2. Bring every thought captive.Who is the author of your thoughts? Is it good? Is it in love? Is it beneficial? Immediately discard the thoughts that do not fit in these categories.

3. Walk boldly up to the things you feel challenged by.You will find they are nothing more than empty fears, easily conquered with the Father at your side. In other words, face your emptyfears!

And at the end of my 3 step plan God reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures::

Remember:

I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. | Phil. 4:13

I’ve been designing T shirts for myself and some of my friends for a few years now. With their encouragement, I have decided to make them available to you as well! I have just added two different designs to the shop, and I will be adding more designs regularly. Getting these designs into the shop, and getting the shop up and running has been something that has been carried over from To Do list to To Do list for some time now (um, like at least a year now . . . jussayin) It’s been rolling around in the back of my head for so long, and it feels good to release it out into the world.

Birthing ideas has never been an easy breezy process for me. The ideas come to me relatively easily, but my perfectionist tendencies sometimes keep me from progressing at the speed I would like. I always want things to be just right . . . I want the shop to look a certain way, I want to have a shop stocked with lots of designs, I want the designs just so… but this past year has taught me a valuable lesson that I think I have shared with you before . . .

START WHERE YOU ARE, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.

And so, I have.

I created the “change your mind” T as a way to remind myself that much of what we experience in life is filtered by our personal experiences. Sometimes the filter is good and sometimes it’s not so good. Really, its just a matter of changing our minds about the way we approach situations.It all depends on what we are filling our minds with daily.It’s a process for me, so I welcome little reminders here and there. I was inspired to create this shirt after spending some time studying Romans 12:2. It’s a powerful scripture that has really helped me to keep my thinking on track. Changing your mind is a process. But I love this phrase because it’s a two fold sentence that makes it sound so simple. It really is just a matter of changing your mind . . . over and over again until you train it.

My vision is clear and I am on the path to realizing it, I’m so glad you guys are along for the ride. In the meantime, you can visit the shop by clicking here or the “shop” button on the menu above to snag yourself a sweatshirt, T or tank.

It’s Thursday, and I have been sitting at my desk working ever since the kids left for school. If I’ve calculated correctly, that means I have been sitting here for about 6 hours . . give or take a few bathroom breaks and transitions to the floor to lay things out for better perspective. You want to know the beautiful part about that 6 hours? I didn’t even know time was passing. I couldn’t feel it. I was so thoroughly engrossed in the process of designing this collection, costing it, revising it and planning for it, that 6 hours feels more like 6 minutes. And now that I see what time has passed, I realize that it will soon be time to stop working so that I can go pick up the kiddies. And guess what, I don’t want to stop. I love working. I love what I do. I could do it every day and be content, and getting paid to do what you love to do is the blessed icing on the cake. Anywho, the point of this post is just a simple reminder. Find the thing you love to do and do it every day. If you haven’t found the thing you love to do, keep seeking it out. Think about those moments when you feel your happiest. What are you doing? Is it something that you can turn into a business? Is it something that you can do more of as a hobby? Whatever it is, figure out a way to incorporate more of it into your life. Your soul will thank you for it!

What are 3 things you love to do that make you happy? Tell me in the comments below!

Hey guys! How was your weekend? Summer is officially here, according to the calendar. June 21st was the first official day of summer, and my Dad’s birthday! He is 70 now! I can’t believe it! I am so blessed to have been able to share another birthday with him. Life is so precious.

We have now entered our 2nd week of summer vacay. The kids started day camp today. They kept talking about how they didn’t want to go, but they need it so bad. And so does mama!! I haven’t really sat down to blog in a 2 weeks! I’m getting my work schedule back up and running and working on a few outside projects that I will be sharing with you shortly.

It looks like this is going to be a busy week. Our family is coming in from Texas this week. My sister and brother are renewing their wedding vows after 30 years of marriage this Saturday!! Count them . . . thirty years! I say that with complete and utter awe and admiration. What a milestone!!! I feel like a newborn baby as this September Rob + I will celebrate 13 years. A drop in the bucket in comparison, yet a milestone for us nevertheless!!

Last Saturday I had a really productive brunch\meeting with my friend Nikki and a graphic designer friend of hers that she introduced me to. (I love how God always provides the answers to questions I may be pondering or sitting on). She and I had been discussing my handbag line and I was sharing some frustrations with her while we were waiting for her friend to arrive. When he got there we all started talking and he basically confirmed that I should move forward with all the things I had just spoken to Nikki about. Without even knowing we had discussed them!! Ahhh! God is good. Confirmation is awesome. Especially since I have not been feeling my most confident in the steps I have been choosing to take moving forward with the line. ANYWAY, I said all of that just to remind you guys to remain open. The answers will come to you if you are open to hearing them. They may not come in the form or package you were expecting, but they will come to you.

And on that note I leave you with my Moody Summer mood board. I love the bright cheery colors balanced out by the moodiness of iced aqua, grey, charcoal and pastels.

Have you gotten confirmation on anything you have been grappling with lately?

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Hi! My name is Ayanna. I am a handbag designer, artist + happy introvert, navigating my way through the extroverted world of fashion. Welcome to my blog! This is where I share style musings, inspirations, sneak peeks of new collections + collaborations, and introduce you to the people, places + things that inspire me. Follow my work in progress! I'm glad you're here!